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Are you excited to begin homeschooling your child? I was antsy with anticipation to begin formal learning lessons with my preschooler. Even if they were only 15 minutes a day, I was going to be ready and armed with the supplies I thought were necessary. Now, after graduating two kids from preschool I know what preschool homeschool supplies are essential and which are nice to have.

The list I have curated for you will help you to create a vibrant and effective learning space.These tools not only spark curiosity but also lay the foundation for math, literacy, creativity, and exploration. Here you’ll find must-have supplies for homeschooling preschool, including specific items like an abacus, counting snap cubes, art supplies, and more, as well as recommended books and bonus items like a laminator and Velcro for printables.Whether you’re just starting or refining your setup, these essentials will help you foster a love of learning in your preschooler.

Why Invest in Quality Preschool Homeschool Supplies?

Preschoolers learn best through hands-on, multisensory experiences that engage their senses and imagination. The right preschool homeschool supplies make learning feel like play, which is critical for young children who thrive on exploration and discovery. These tools also support key developmental areas like fine motor skills, cognitive growth, and social-emotional development. By curating a thoughtful collection of supplies, you’re creating an environment where your child can grow academically and creatively at their own pace.

Must Have Preschool Homeschool Supplies

Below is a detailed list of essential preschool homeschool supplies that will transform your home into a dynamic learning space. Each item is chosen for its versatility, educational value, and ability to engage young learners.

Abacus

An abacus is a timeless tool for teaching early math concepts like counting, patterns, addition, and subtraction. Its colorful beads and tactile nature make it irresistible for preschoolers. By sliding beads to represent numbers, children visualize quantities and begin to understand basic operations.

How to Use It:

• Patterns: Create a pattern by sliding beads in a sequence, such as 3 beads on one side and 7 on the other. Ask your child to replicate or extend the pattern. For more advanced patterns, try alternating colors or numbers (e.g., 4 beads left, 1 in the middle, 5 on the right). For detailed guidance on teaching patterns, check out this post on teaching patterns to preschoolers.
• Counting: Start with basic exercises, like moving 5 beads to one side and counting them aloud. Encourage your child to touch each bead as they count to reinforce one-to-one correspondence.
• Addition and Subtraction: Progress to simple operations by moving beads in groups. For example, show 2 beads plus 3 beads to demonstrate 2 + 3 = 5. Reverse the process for subtraction.

Why It’s Essential: The abacus bridges tactile and visual learning, helping children internalize math concepts through play. It’s durable, reusable, and grows with your child as they tackle more complex operations.

Counting Snap Cubes

Next are counting snap cubes are also versatile, stackable blocks help children explore math concepts like counting, patterns, and basic geometry. Their ability to snap together makes them perfect for hands-on learning and fine motor development.

How to Use It:

• Addition: Snap two groups of cubes together (e.g., 3 red + 2 blue) and count the total to teach addition.
• Counting: Use cubes to count to 10 or 20, stacking them as you go to visualize quantities.
• Patterns: Create sequences like red, blue, red, blue, and ask your child to continue the pattern. Vary the complexity by mixing colors or numbers.
• Geometry and Spatial Awareness: Build simple structures like towers or grids to introduce shapes and spatial relationships. For example, stack cubes into a square or rectangle and discuss the shapes.

Why It’s Essential: Snap cubes are endlessly versatile, supporting multiple skills in one tool. They’re also great for collaborative play, as siblings or friends can build together.

Arts and Crafts Supplies

Art supplies are a cornerstone of preschool learning, fostering creativity, self-expression, and fine motor skills. Stock up on crayons, washable markers, a variety of paint types but especially tempera, construction paper, glue sticks, safety scissors, and playdough. These materials encourage open-ended exploration and help children process what they’re learning.

How to Use It:

• Storytelling: Use art to retell stories or create illustrations for books you read together, like drawing a scene from a poem.
• Thematic Projects: Pair art with learning themes. For example, craft a butterfly from coffee filters while discussing butterfly migration or create a fall leaf collage after a nature walk.
• Fine Motor Practice: Cutting paper, squeezing glue, or molding playdough strengthens hand muscles for writing.

Why It’s Essential: Art supplies provide a creative outlet that complements academic learning, helping children process emotions and ideas. They’re also affordable and widely available.

Nature Basket

A sturdy basket for collecting nature items encourages outdoor exploration and connects a child to the natural world. Whether it’s leaves, rocks, pinecones, or shells, these treasures can be used for science, math, and art activities. I didn’t realize just how much a basket with a handle was necessary until after a couple nature walks. The situation was quickly remedied because I didn’t want to keep using the bottom of my shirt to carry everything.

How to Use It:

• Nature Walks: Take your child on a walk to collect items like leaves or stones. Discuss their textures, colors, or origins to spark curiosity.
• Sorting and Counting: Back home, sort items by type (e.g., leaves vs. rocks) or count them to practice math skills.
• Art Projects: Turn nature finds into crafts, like pinecone birdfeeders or leaf rubbings, to blend creativity and science.

Why It’s Essential: A nature basket encourages outdoor exploration, which studies show boosts cognitive development and reduces stress in young children.

Counting Bears

Colorful counting bears are a fun way to teach math concepts like sorting, counting, and basic operations. These small, bear-shaped manipulatives come in different colors and sizes, making them engaging for young learners.

How to Use It:

• Sorting: Sort bears by color or size to teach categorization.
• Counting: Use bears to count to 10 or practice skip-counting by twos.
• Patterns: Create sequences like red, yellow, red, yellow, and ask your child to extend them.
• Story-Based Math: Incorporate bears into storytelling, like creating a “bear picnic” to practice addition (e.g., “3 bears bring 2 apples each. How many apples total?”). See this post on teaching numbers 0-10 for more ideas.

Why It’s Essential: Counting bears make abstract math concepts concrete and fun, while their small size hones fine motor skills.

Alphabet Wall Display

We offer alphabet wall displays here at Playing for Hours because it has been essential for teaching my kiddos the alphabet. To introduce a letter they trace the uppercase and lowercase letters before hanging it on the wall. Once a few letters are up we can use them as review or simply point at each letter as we sing the alphabet. 

How to Use It:

• Games: Play “find the letter” games to reinforce recognition, like “Where’s the letter B?”
• Letter Introduction: Introduce one letter at a time, tracing and discussing its shape and sound.
• Review: Once multiple letters are on the wall, point to them during daily activities or sing the alphabet song while pointing.

Why It’s Essential: A wall display provides a constant visual reminder of letters, making it easy to integrate literacy into daily routines.

Wooden Alphabet Puzzle

A wooden alphabet puzzle is a tactile way to teach letter recognition and fine motor skills. Puzzles thick wooden letters allow a child to hold the letter. They are very tactile at this age and being able to turn a letter over in their hands helps them examine it’s shape and store it in their memory.

How to Use It: Start with a few letters at a time, asking your child to find and place them. As they progress, introduce letter sounds. I completely take away any letters my kiddos haven’t learned yet using their alphabet wall display. In short, this helps keep your kiddos focused on what they’ve learned and not bogged down by these other random shapes they don’t know yet.

How to Use It:

• Letter Matching: Start with a few letters, asking your child to find and place them in the puzzle.
• Letter Sounds: As they progress, introduce the sounds each letter makes.
• Focused Learning: Remove unlearned letters to keep your child focused on familiar ones, reducing overwhelm.

Why It’s Essential: The puzzle combines sensory and cognitive learning, making letter recognition engaging and memorable.

Shape Blocks (Tangrams)

Shape blocks (like wooden or plastic blocks in circles, squares, triangles, etc.) introduce geometry and spatial reasoning. They also support fine motor skills and creativity as children combine shapes into patterns.

How to Use It:

• Shape Recognition: Sort blocks by shape or color to teach categorization.
• Building: Create simple patterns to encourage spatial awareness. Use the free printable on this post, Quilt Patterns, to create cozy designs with your preschooler.
• Symmetry and Counting: Build mirrored designs or count blocks to introduce symmetry and quantities. Check out Preschool Mom’s free printable for symmetry practice.

Why It’s Essential: Shape blocks are versatile tools that grow with your child, supporting both math and creative play.

Pinterest

We all know this inspirational tool! It is truly a great place to gain ideas for teaching specific topics to your child. Have an idea? Jump on Pinterest! You’ll probably even find some of our pins over there talking about our free preschool homeschool curriculum. 

How to Use It:

• Lesson Planning: Search for activities tied to specific skills, like “preschool math activities” or “alphabet crafts.”
• Thematic Units: Create themed lessons, such as a “fall nature” unit with crafts and science activities.
• Community: Join homeschooling boards to connect with other parents and share ideas.

Why It’s Essential: Pinterest provides endless inspiration, helping you keep lessons fresh and engaging.

Bonus Preschool Homeschool Supplies.

To enhance your preschool homeschool supplies, consider investing in a laminator and Velcro for printables. These tools make online resources reusable and interactive.

• Laminator: Laminating printables, like counting mats or alphabet puzzles, ensures durability. Laminated materials can be used with dry-erase markers for repeated practice.
• Velcro: Adding Velcro to printables creates hands-on activities, like matching games or sorting tasks. It’s perfect for keeping preschoolers engaged.

How to Use It: Printables such as the anatomy of a flower in the All About Flowers post makes the printable much more engaging and easy for little hands to work with.

Essential Books to Add to Your Preschool Homeschool Supplies.

Books are a vital part of preschool homeschool supplies, sparking imagination and reinforcing academic concepts. Here are five must-have books that blend literacy, math, and fun:

1. Poetry: Doubleday’s Favorite Poems Old and New, edited by Helen Ferris
   This classic anthology offers a rich collection of poems that captivate young listeners. The rhythmic language supports phonological awareness, while the variety of themes sparks curiosity.
   How to Use It: Read a poem daily and discuss its imagery. Encourage your child to draw a scene from a favorite poem.
2. Poetry: A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
   Stevenson’s timeless poems celebrate childhood wonder and imagination. The lyrical quality helps children develop a love for language.
   How to Use It: Recite poems like The Swing while pushing your kiddo on a swing. Or the next time it is raining, have them repeat after you the poem, Rain.
3. Counting: Click, Clack, 1, 2, 3 by Doreen Cronin
   This playful counting book follows farm animals preparing to release 10 fish from captivity. The rhythmic voice makes it perfect for teaching numbers and counting.
   How to Use It: While reading, each time you say another number, count the number of animals on the page. Then proceed with reading. After you’ve read the book enough your child will probably want to join in.
4. Counting: Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss
   This silly story combines counting with rhyming fun as animals stack apples on their heads. It’s great for teaching numbers and balance.
   How to Use It: Have an apple themed lesson. Check out Aa is for Apple to gain ideas. 
5. Alphabet: Dr. Seuss’s A, B, C
   This vibrant book introduces letters through whimsical creatures and rhymes, making alphabet learning engaging.
   How to Use It: Pair with the alphabet puzzle or wall display to find and name letters. 

How to Create a Balanced Homeschool Environment.

With these preschool homeschool supplies, you can create a balanced curriculum that covers math, literacy, art, and nature exploration. Here’s how to tie them together:

• Math: Use the abacus, counting snap cubes, counting bears, and shape blocks to teach counting, addition, and geometry. Pair with Click, Clack, 1, 2, 3 and Ten Apples Up On Top for reinforcement.
• Literacy: The alphabet wall display, wooden alphabet puzzle, and books like Dr. Seuss’s Alphabet Book build letter recognition and phonological awareness. Poems from Doubleday’s Favorite Poems and A Child’s Garden of Verses enhance language skills.
• Science: Nature walks that include observations, reflections, and collecting are all that preschoolers need at this age for science. Check out the post A Guided Tour of the 5 Senses in Nature for inspiration.
• Creativity: Art supplies and the nature basket encourage open-ended exploration. Use nature items for art projects or pair with poems to inspire drawings. Refer to my organizing artwork post to keep these creations manageable.
• Reusability: The laminator and Velcro make printables durable and interactive, saving time and money while keeping activities fresh.

Tips for Success

• Include active and quiet activities: Sometimes quiet activities, such as a worksheet, aren’t actually a bad thing. Kids need both active and down times throughout their day. In this way we’re able to foster learning in both environments.
• Organize supplies: Use bins or shelves to keep materials accessible. Label containers to keep things easy for you.
• Follow your child’s interests: Tailor activities to your child, you know them best and what they prefer. But don’t be afraid to combine their interest with something they aren’t excited about. Such as, using a nature walk to gather art supplies if your child prefers to be inside but is an art enthusiast.
• Keep sessions short: Aim for 10-15 minute activities to match preschool attention spans. Space these throughout the day for optimal learning.
• Rotate books and tools: Introduce new books or supplies weekly to maintain excitement. Check out how we set up our Homeschool Room on a Budget to see how you too can have an organized homeschool environment.

Preschool Homeschool Supplies Should Foster Play Based Learning

Homeschooling preschool is a rewarding opportunity to nurture your child’s curiosity and love of learning. By equipping your home with essential preschool homeschool supplies like an abacus, alphabet wall display, counting snap cubes, art supplies, a nature basket, and engaging books, you’re creating a rich, multisensory environment.. With these tools, you can build a foundation for math, literacy, and creativity that will serve your preschooler for years to come.  Start gathering your supplies today and watch your child’s learning adventure unfold!

If you’re as excited as I was to begin homeschooling a preschooler, then you’ll love the free preschool curriculum I created. It began with a desire to create purposeful and play based lessons for my kiddos. Now, I am sharing it with other Mommas who are just as passionate about giving their child an exceptional start. Check out the free preschool curriculum and all that it has to offer by clicking the button below.

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